Astra / Westwind Summer 1998

• Aircraft Sales And Acquisitions
• Nose Landing Gear Tire Inflation Pressure Change
• Astra/Westwinds Move Quickly!
• Westwind Door Frame Crack Alert
• SPX EGPWS Upgrade
• Westwind Fuel Leaks?
• Nl Power Check
• Check Your Wheels!

Aircraft Sales And Acquisitions

Selling your Astra/Westwind can be a stressful time, and what can be even more stressful is buying a preowned aircraft. Stress from both these situations can be greatly reduced at the pre-buy evaluation.

When selecting a facility for a pre-buy evaluation, look first for a company that can be recommended by other operators. The facility should be full service, complete with engine and avionics diagnostic capabilities. Other overlooked qualifications include import and export services and on-staff DAR services.

All of the above, with the right pre-buy evaluation checklist, developed through years of experience, will help you select a high-quality, pre-owned aircraft and a quality service facility.

For more info, contact Bob McCammon at 800.228.4277.

Nose Landing Gear Tire Inflation Pressure Change

For better ground handling, the nose landing gear tire inflation pressure on Astras was reduced from 100 PSI to 85 PSI for unloaded aircraft and from 104 PSI to 89 PSI for loaded aircraft.

Astra/Westwinds Move Quickly!

During the month of July, eight Astras and seven Westwinds changed ownership!

Westwind Door Frame Crack Alert

Recently, two cases of door frame cracks have been found in the lower door frame area of some 1124 Westwinds. Specifically, the cracks were found where the step bumpers contact the door threshold. The door frame is a structural member and should be fixed immediately if cracks are found. The door frame area can easily be inspected using visual or dye penetrant methods.

Current lead times for replacement parts is in excess of four weeks; however, Duncan Aviation has developed and certified a replacement component for the threshold plate. Installation of the new part takes about four days. This repair can be accomplished concurrent with scheduled airframe work with additional downtime kept to a minimum.

For more information, please contact Tim Klenke in Lincoln at 1.800.228.4277, or Pete Kilmartin in Battle Creek at 1.800.525.2376.

SPX EGPWS Upgrade

Duncan recently completed an EGPWS upgrade on an SPX. Terrain is selectable for display on either pilot’s MFD. Test flights were flown to verify the system.

For more information, please contact Gary Harpster in Lincoln at 1.800.228.4277, or Bob Stickler in Battle Creek at 1.800.525.2376.

Westwind Fuel Leaks?

Center section fuel leaks are often difficult to detect and usually require many hours to locate. Duncan believes the best method for identifying “center section” or “fuselage” tank leaks is by stepfueling. The process begins by monitoring the leak rate in drips per minute from the weep hole under the small round access panel at the lower fuselage. The bags are checked by following the criteria in the maintenance manual. Finally, the center section is checked by using Blank Off Plates on the top and bottom of the wing. This will identify leaking fastners and seams.

For more information, please contact Tim Klenke in Lincoln at 1.800.228.4277, or Pete Kilmartin in Battle Creek at 1.800.525.2376.

Nl Power Check

When checking Nl power in manual mode on SPX aircraft equipped with model 731-40R engines, Nl power will be about 2% less in manual mode than in computer mode. Refer to AlliedSignal’s L i g h t Maintenance Manual (LMM) for temperature charts.

Check Your Wheels!

When removing NLG wheels for inspection/tire change, look for play between the two wheels. If play exists, it may be between the spider and drive shaft attach point rivets.

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